MCOR

I get hammered by this question allot (including many PMs here). There are many tuner type cars represented here on TR that there is no aftermarket DDIN custom kit for, or the one available is just ugly. We have done tons of these for TR members (and retail customers of course) but never really took step by step pics. Fortunately, I had a TR member email about a custom kit for his car the morning the following job was scheduled to come in. So I decided to have the installer document this build with pics for the members here.

It is not too incredibly hard if you take your time, use the right (read: high quality) professional products, and again-TAKE YOUR TIME! If this is not within your comfort zone, at least maybe you can understand the process a little better after checking this out.



We start with a 2005 Infiniti I35. Very common car for this procedure since no one can figure out to this day why the aftermarket never made a DDIN kit for it. Average build time is 3-4 hours including letting the body filler and epoxy dry and set along with coats of paint dry time. If it is your first time, set aside a day or so and TAKE YOUR TIME!




Remove the complete setup and lay it beside the head unit you are planning on installing. Look at the angles and physical measurements to make sure it will actually fit before you jump in.



Take the original stereo assy out and see if your replacement will fit into the brackets. Modify as necessary so that it is snug and solid before tackling the cosmetic part.


If you can remove the face of the original radio (rendering the original unusable), this will save you TONS of time during fabrication. This is the easiest way to do it.


Cut out the surround to fit around the replacement head unit. If the replacement head unit has a trim ring, overcut the dash surround so that the trim ring will fit snugly inside of it. Using the trim ring will assure that the correct clearances remain so that the faceplate can still slide open freely. The gaps will also remain even all the way around and look that much more OEM.



Epoxy the aftermarket trim ring into the factory surround as completely flush and even as possible. Take your time here as there is no turning back once it is set into place. This is one of the biggest determining factors in how clean the final result will be.


Mix up the body filler (the higher quality, the better. Over the counter Bondo brand works but there are much better brands out there).


Lightly sand the surround to get it as even as possible. Hand sanding will achieve the best results. Unless you are a professional body man, stay away from power sanders when working with small pieces like this. Add at least one more coat of the filler if necessary to make sure it is completely built up and even. If the next step involves painting, it is absolutely crucial that the finish be perfectly smooth. If you are wrapping it with suede or vinyl, pock holes and the like are not really an issue. To fill small pock marks, there are finer fillers available premixed in small tubes that you can apply then sand absolutely smooth.


Spray it out with a high build primer. The first coat needs to just barely change the color-very light mist. Then, once that is tacky, spray out a very even second coat. You can go for a final third coat for complete uniformity. Then, follow up with high quality paint made for trim (Dupli Color is available in trim paint or textured paint from your parts store. We use professional dyes from SEM for the most part however).


Then assemble it! Take your time to shim the head unit to be sure that it looks perfectly level and is flush with your custom faceplate. A few extra minutes on this very last step can make or break the installation.




If you have any pics to add to this thread showing your own experiences, feel free. I will try to dig and come up with some more final product pics. Wrapping with suede and even incorporating a contrasting double stitch on our sewing machine is becoming a pretty cool new trend. The Italians have been doing it for years on Lambos, Ferraris, and the like.

Good luck with it and feel free to hit me up with any questions you may have about the process along the way!